Unofficial news and tips about Google

May 28, 2007

Google Buys GreenBorder, Web Sandbox

Google bought GreenBorder, a Mountain View-based company that creates security software designed to protect a computer as you surf the web. According to Silicon Valley Watcher, GreenBorder developed "an easy solution to virus, spyware, and trojan threats by isolating each Internet session from the rest of the PC and earlier Internet sessions. The beauty of the Green Border Pro software is it doesn't need to be updated to guard against new virus signatures or new types of malware. It creates a secluded, virtual Internet session and when you are done, it flushes everything away, in your cache and in temporary files."

The application was initially a sandbox for Internet Explorer, but now it also supports Firefox and lets you open files downloaded from the Internet in a virtual environment. Each application protected by GreenBorder has a colored border around the window, so you know you're safe.

Other features include:

* Keeps your PC from getting infested by "drive-by" downloads.

* Blocks theft of your private identity information.

* Prevents thieves from stealing your confidential files.

* Protects your applications from hijacking.

The Windows software is still available as a trial version at Download.com, but the full version used to cost $29.95 / year. Hopefully, Google will release a free version.

As explained, I really don't see a use for this "pay" product. Being almost the king of surfing, I often don't know where I'm going and whether or not I might want to save something from a website. I use CALLINGID to warn about web sites and an AV program to get the baddies before they get on my computer. What's the advantage to me in spending my hard earned on another program? (Yes, I have sandboxie.)

We used sandboxes for testing software applications. How about a web sandbox?

I am sure you have seen a lot similar solutions around. Even without a web sandbox, the conventional practice is just to have AV, Firewall and a bit common sense.

The catches here are:1. User Friendly2. Google's adoption.

If it is free, I would use it for my guesses in the living room and for my parent. I would set up some Limited User Accounts and run GreenBorder. No matter how uncareful they are when surfing the internet, my computer system is still safe.

Perhaps these other people just dont get it - sandboxie does not virtualise the session. note the word 'virtualise' it means in this case that the session is isolated both from future sessions, past sessions, and permanent writes to the registry and/or access to files and folders outside what is absolutely necessary to surf. Greenborder is an astounding program and works well but my concern is how google will manipulate the current code to work in its favour, just how will any addon or extension fare which interferes with pushing advertising into peoples faces?

Look what happen when you try to download the soft from greenborder.com.."Thank you for your interest in GreenBorder. We are not currently offering our applications for download or purchase.Existing users, rest assured you will continue to have uninterrupted access to your GreenBorder products! Our support team is still available to help you."

Sandboxie absolutely does "virtualize" your browsing, and additionally you can install and run unknown programs in one of its "sandboxes" to see if they're ok. You don't need any AV software if you browse with Sandboxie.